De-clutching mechanism



Sept 27, 1932- w. GILMORE 1,879,184

DE-CLUTCHING MECHANI SM Filed June 5o, 1931 2 sheets-sheet 1 TO DASH BOARD TO INTA/(E i MAN/FOLD 54 f ze gjm/vento@ W/LL/AM G/LMO/@E dttoz Wega,

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATE-S- WILLIAM GILMORE, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI DE-CLUTCHING MECHANISM' AppIication filed .Tune 30,

This invention relates to a device for controlling the clutch mechanism of gasoline engine driven automobiles, and more particularly to an automatic clutch operating mechanism utilizing the suction from the gasoline engine as modied by the throttle control.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character indicated of an improved and simplified structure calculated to give eiiicient and reliable automatic control of the clutch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which will not only release the clutch quickly and efficiently but which will also reengage the clutch by an operation closely simulating that of manual control and characterized by a rapid initial movement of the clutch control lever terminating in a short, slow engaging movement, permitting the inal engaging motions of the clutch to occur without shock.

Further, objects will more particularly appear in the course of the more detailed description.

The invention consists in the novel con struction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof on which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a plan view, largely diagrammatic in character with parts broken away to show the general lay out and association of the principal parts of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal transverse cross section through the automatic valve;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal transverse section through the clutch operating cylinder;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal transverse section through the control valve; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal transverse cross section through the bleeder Valve associated with the reservoir tank;

Referring to the drawings: 1 indicates a fluid operated cylinder and piston adapted to be connected to the clutch 1931. Serial No. 547,999.

lever of the automobile. 2 indicates a Huid tight reservoir of a capacity proportioned to the capacity of cylinder 1, as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

3 generally indicates an automatic valve 55 preferably positioned within reservoir 2, as illustrated. 4 indicates an ordinary stop cock preferably arranged to be operated from the dashboard. 5 indicates a valve operated by the throttle control of theengine.

The fluid operated clutch operating mechanism is illustrated in detail in Figure 3; and comprises a piston 6 slidable Within a cylinder 7 A leather washer 8 is secured to piston 6 by the plate 9 which is secured to 65 the piston by means of the hook bolt 11 which passes through the piston and is secured over plate 9 as by nut 12. A rubber buder ring 10 is secured upon the face of the plate 9 as by screws 10 to prevent any severe shock by 70 reason of piston 6 striking the head 14 which crosses one end of the cylinder 7. A cable 13 connects hook 11 with the clutch lever of the engine (not shown). Communication with the interior of cylinder 7 is provided through 75 the head 14 with a conduit pipe 15 which extends through the head ofthe reservoir tank 2 (see Figure 1), and communicates with the automatic valve positioned in said reservoir.

l The reservoir 2, as here illustrated, consists of a cylinder chamber 16 having headers at each end, and to one header is secured a bleeder valve 17 adjustable as by handle 18.

The automatic valve 3 (see Figure 2) comprises a cylinder 19 lto one end of which con- 85 duit pipe 15 is connected and which is provided at its other end with a head 50 which as here illustrated is screwthreaded into the end of the cylinder 19. The head50 is provided with a conduit communicating and connected with pipe 27 which extends-out of reservoir 2. Within the cylinder part 19 is a ioating valve piston 21 having a head 22 at the. end opposite to conduit 15. The floating piston member 2l is'provided with two spaced circum- 5 ferentially arranged series of ports 23 and 24,

and the cylindrical valve member 19 is also provided with a series of circumferentially spaced ports 20. The ports 2O and 23 are adapted to co-operate; while the ports 24 are 100 arranged adjacent the head 22 and are adapted to provide communication between the interior of the floating valve piston 21 and the end of the valve cylinder 19 adjacent the head 50. A compression spring 25 is positioned between head 50 of the valve cylinder 19 and head 22 of the ioating piston 21, and is adapted to force floating piston 21 into such a position as will bring ports 23 into alignment with ports 20 and seal ports 24. Preferably a rubber gasket 26 is seated on the 1nner face of head 50 to provide a buffer against the shock of floating piston 21 against head 50, and radial grooves 26 are provided in the rubber gasket 26 to permit free communication of fluid pressure to ports 24 even when head 22 is seated against gasket 26.

The pipe 27 extendingfrom head 50 of valve 3 is provided with the shut-0H valve 4 which is of any standard construction and requires no further description. The conduit continues from valve 4 by a pipe 28 to the` control valve 5 which, as illustrated, comprises a valve housing in which is reciprocable a stem 34 with which is associated a spring 35 tending to retract the valve stem 34 normally seat valve 30 in valve seat 29 lto close the valve. The bleeder vent 32 is provided in a nut 31 seated above valve 30 and a rubber gasket 33 surrounds the bleeder vent 32 on nut 31 so that when valve 30 is lifted from seat 29 it will contact gasket 33 and close the bleeder vent 32. A bracket 37 is secured to valve housing 5 and on this bracket is pivoted a lever 36, one end of which is in operative engagement with valve stem 34 and the other end of which is associated as by the link 38 to the throttle control lever of the engine (not shown).

A pipe 39 extends from valve 5 to the intake manifold of the gasoline engine. A valve 17 is associated with reservoir 2 to provide an adjustable bleeder vent for the reservoir. This valve 17 is threaded as at 45 to seat in a boss 46 secured around a suitable oriice in the reservoir wall. The valvef17 has a conduit 40 which terminates in an enlarged conical valve seat 41 which communicates with a vent 47. A conical valve part 44 is associated with a threaded valve member 43 which is seated in an enlarged internally threaded bore 42 of valve 17 and is adjusti able as by handle 18. It will be apparent that by adjustment of valve 44 in seat 41 the supply of air to reservoir 2 can be readily adjusted.

The adjustment of lever 36 with the engine throttle control by means of linkage 38 is such that when the engine is idling, lever 36 will be depressed and valve stem 34 of valve 5 will be raised thus opening communication between pipes 39 and 28 and closing the bleeder vent 32 in valve 5. Assuming that valve 4 is open to make the entire device operative it will be apparent that the suction from the engine will operate through pipes 39, 28 and 27 to create a reduced pressure' be released and spring 35 will force valve stem 34 downward seating valve 30 on seat 29 and opening bleeder vent 32 lthus closing communication between pipes 39, and 28 and opening communication between pipe 28 and bleeder vent 32. The increased pressure of atmosphere will operate through pipes 28 and 27 and spring 25 will co-operate to force floating valve 21 forwardly within the cylinder 19 until ports 23 are in alignment with ports 2() which will permit the air in reservoir 2 to enter valve 3 in communication with pipe l5 and thence to cylinder 7. This increased pressure will permit piston 6 to move forwardly at a rapid rate proportional to the amount of air contained in reservoir 2 which will be proportioned in capacity to permit piston 6 to be thus retracted the greater part of the stroke of the clutch lever necessary for rie-engagement of the clutch. The latter part of the stroke of the lever and the corresponding stroke of piston 6 will, however, be retarded by the exhaustion of'the air in cylinder 2 and this latter part of the stroke will be only so rapid as is permitted by the ingress of air through the valve 17.

:"[t will thus be seen that the mechanism described, the clutch will be both released and engaged automatically by operation of the throttle control lever and particularly the reengagement of the clutch will be by a mechanical movement conforming with the best manual practice in engaging the clutch. Various modifications in the'precise construction and arrangement of the parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art but within the scope of thepresent invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A clutch control comprising fluid operated means operatively connected with the clutch of an internal lcombustion engine driven automobile, a conduit connecting said fluid operated means with said engine, a reservoir, and valve means associating said reservoir and conduit whereby said fluid operated means may be selectively brought into communication with said reservoir and said engine. l

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the lll operated means, and the reservoir and conduit is automatically operated by change of pressure in said conduit.

3. The strueure of claim 1 with a valve in the conduit provided with a bleeder vent communicating with the side of the valve -to- Wards the reservoir and liuid operated means and arranged in such manner that operation of the valve to close the conduit will open the bleeder vent and vice versa.

4. The structure of claim 1 with a valve in the conduit, and means operatively connecting said valve with the throttle. operating means of the gas engine. Y

5. The structure of claim 1 with a bleeder vent associated with said reservoir .communicating with atmosphere.

6. The structure of claim 1 with an adjustable bleeder vent associated with the reservoir communicating withatmosphere.

7. The'structure of claim 1 in which the fluid operated means is a-cylinder and piston and the reservoir has a capacity proportional to the capacity of said cylinder whereby said reservoir when in communication with said cylinder will control the operation of the piston.

8. In combination a fluid tight reservoir having an adjustable vent, a valve in the reservoir comprising a housing, conduits extending one from each end of said valve housing to the exterior of' the reservoir, a cup valve reciprocable in the. valve housing between said conduits, ports adjacent the` bottom of the cup valve adapted to aiford communication between theV cup valve and the interior of the valve housing, complementary ports in the' cup valve and valve housing adapted to afford `communication between the cup valve and the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

WILLIAM GILMORE. 

